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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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468
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fall — the season
  3. suit — to fit
  4. row — to paddle
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cap — a hat
  7. row — a line
  8. chest — of your body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — a gift
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chest — a box
  14. suit — in cards
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. present — there
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — the time now
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — clothes
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. temple — side of the head

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