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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. land — a country
  5. spell — a short time
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pass — a permit
  8. spell — magic
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. land — to come down
  14. spell — letters
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. land — ground
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. foot — a measure
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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