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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 124 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. season — of the year
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rash — a series
  5. cell — in biology
  6. face — to confront
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rash — hasty
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — in sport
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fall — the season
  21. cap — a lid
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rest — a break

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