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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. last — finally
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. dip — to sink
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chest — of your body
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chest — a box
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. firm — decided
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. firm — a company
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. firm — steady
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chest — of your body
  24. arm — part of the body

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