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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. kid — child
  7. fall — to drop
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kid — to tease
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fall — the season

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