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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. staff — a stick
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fall — to drop
  7. shower — rain
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lean — to bend
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. branch — a division
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pit — a hole
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fall — the season
  21. staff — employees
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. lean — thin

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