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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rest — a break
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mine — for digging
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. kick — in football
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fall — the season
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. leaves — to go away

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