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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — all right
  3. fall — the season
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wake — a trail
  11. press — to push
  12. wound — an injury
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com