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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rock — a stone
  3. land — a country
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fall — the season
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rock — music
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. land — to come down
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. land — ground
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. craft — boats
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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