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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fall — the season
  4. pop — to visit
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chip — to eat
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — to drop

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