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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fall — to drop

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