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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — to come down
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — of water
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — a lid
  9. land — a country
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — the season
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. current — electric
  15. charge — in control
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lie — to recline
  18. charge — electricity
  19. land — ground
  20. charge — a price
  21. snap — to click
  22. current — happening now
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cap — of ice

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