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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — to rob
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rock — music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. present — there
  22. ground — a position
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mug — a face

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