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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. file — a tool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. firm — steady
  15. fine — all right
  16. firm — decided
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fine — high quality
  19. firm — a company
  20. file — a document
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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