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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — in football
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fall — the season
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kick — a thrill

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