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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fall — the season
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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