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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — to protest
  7. fall — the season
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. object — a thing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. land — ground
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cell — a phone
  20. object — an aim
  21. cap — a hat
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. cell — in a prison

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