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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cap — a lid
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fall — to drop
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. game — a match
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cap — of ice
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fall — the season
  24. cap — a hat

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