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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. file — a line of people
  9. suit — in cards
  10. land — ground
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stand — to bear
  13. file — a document
  14. land — a country
  15. charge — in control
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. file — a tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. land — to come down
  22. fall — the season
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. charge — a price

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