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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — soda
  9. fall — the season
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. root — the cause
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pop — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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