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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chip — for betting
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. key — in music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. capital — money
  10. chip — to eat
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. capital — a city
  13. key — the most important part
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wake — a trail
  16. face — part of the head
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — for a lock
  24. calf — a young animal

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