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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. capital — a city
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — of the year
  7. pound — a weight
  8. capital — money
  9. rash — a series
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fall — the season
  24. bear — to put up with

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