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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cell — in biology
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — clever
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fall — to drop
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. foot — part of the body

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