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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bank — of a river
  5. face — to point toward
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — part of the head
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. face — to confront
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fall — the season
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bank — for money

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