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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · dip · fall · wake · season · pound · saw · temple

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — a weight
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. season — of the year
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. season — in sport
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fall — the season
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. dip — to dunk

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