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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 124 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bear — the animal
  3. present — there
  4. mug — a face
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cap — a lid
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pop — music
  9. fall — the season
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fall — to drop
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. present — the time now
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. present — a gift
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pop — soda
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pop — to visit

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