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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chest — a box
  5. cap — a hat
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bark — to shout
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cap — of ice
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. spring — the season
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. chest — of your body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spring — of water

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