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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — to get on
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — for betting
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fall — the season
  17. board — a committee
  18. roll — a list
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. hide — to keep secret

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