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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. spring — of water
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. file — a tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a document
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fall — the season
  24. wake — a trail

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