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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — to go on
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fall — the season
  9. saw — the tool
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bound — certain
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. last — finally
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. last — final
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bound — tied together

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