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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. field — a subject
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fall — the season
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. hand — help
  12. rest — a break
  13. tube — the underground
  14. hand — in cards
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. field — for sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pit — a hole
  21. field — farmland
  22. vault — a safe
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rest — what's left

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