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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fall — to drop
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. charge — in control
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hand — in cards
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fall — the season
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. charge — electricity
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. charge — a price
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fall — to drop
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. racket — for tennis

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