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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. key — in music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stand — to bear
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chip — to eat
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — a thrill

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