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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pit — a hole
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fall — the season
  13. can — a tin
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wound — an injury
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pit — in a race

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