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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. net — after costs
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — the season
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rush — hurry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rush — to hurry

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