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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. shower — to wash
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — the season
  16. spell — letters
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — clothes
  19. spell — magic
  20. land — a country
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bank — of a river
  23. shower — rain
  24. suit — to fit

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