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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 116 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 stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rule — government
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lean — to bend
  14. tube — a container
  15. rule — a law
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. lean — thin
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pit — in a race
  24. dip — to sink

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