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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fall — the season
  5. mate — a partner
  6. present — the time now
  7. suit — in cards
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a music group
  14. lie — to recline
  15. suit — to fit
  16. present — there
  17. shower — rain
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a ring
  21. suit — clothes
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. present — a gift

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