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

Word bank: mug · fall · club · stock · prune · toast · lie · cap

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mug — to rob
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mug — a face
  8. club — a group
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stock — goods
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — bread
  23. club — for golf
  24. prune — to trim

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