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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fall — the season
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bass — low music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — in control
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wake — a trail

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