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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — the season
  15. drill — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. drill — army training
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. leaves — lets stay

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