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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fall — the season
  6. object — an aim
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. content — the amount
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. content — happy
  17. object — a thing
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hand — help
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hand — in cards
  24. object — to protest

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