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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. file — a document
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rash — a series
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cap — a lid
  8. roll — a list
  9. file — a line of people
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cap — of ice
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. file — a tool
  22. toast — bread
  23. rash — hasty
  24. roll — a cake

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