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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. branch — a division
  4. rash — a series
  5. capital — a city
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rock — music
  10. net — for catching
  11. capital — money
  12. fall — the season
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. net — after costs
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rock — a stone
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. net — in sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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