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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. land — a country
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. land — ground
  22. roll — a list
  23. kick — in football
  24. land — to come down

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