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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 120 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cap — a hat
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. land — to come down
  7. rest — a break
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — the season
  10. cap — of ice
  11. file — a document
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cap — a lid
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. file — a tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. land — a country
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. arm — part of the body

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