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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pop — soda
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — an aim
  7. chest — a box
  8. object — a thing
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pop — to visit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pop — music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. object — to protest
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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