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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. track — a song
  5. ball — a dance
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. capital — a city
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. can — to be able to
  11. capital — money
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. track — a path
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — to keep track
  20. land — a country
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. land — ground
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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