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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 124 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. tear — to rip
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — for light

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