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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rule — a law
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mug — a face
  8. chip — to eat
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rule — government
  15. fall — the season
  16. game — a match
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stand — to bear

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