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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — to fit
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fall — to drop
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fall — the season
  11. mate — a partner
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mate — to breed
  14. squash — the sport
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mate — a friend
  17. scale — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. sharp — clever
  24. squash — to crush

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