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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — in football
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. land — ground
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fall — to drop
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wake — before a funeral

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