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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. last — to go on
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. last — final
  6. suit — to fit
  7. last — finally
  8. suit — clothes
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rock — music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — for betting
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — a stone
  23. leaves — to go away
  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