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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wax — to grow
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ground — a position
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ground — the earth
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — goods
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — shares
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ground — crushed
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fall — the season

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