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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chip — for betting
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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