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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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. stem — of a plant
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fall — to drop
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. track — a path
  11. kid — child
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kid — to tease
  14. track — a song
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. perch — the fish

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