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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cap — of ice
  7. club — for golf
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lie — to recline
  15. deal — to handle
  16. chest — a box
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — a group
  20. cap — a lid
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fall — the season
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fall — to drop

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