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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. last — to go on
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — to come down
  8. chest — a box
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. land — ground
  13. last — finally
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stand — to bear
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. land — a country
  19. can — a tin
  20. last — final
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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