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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. suit — to fit
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — a price
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. charge — electricity
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. suit — clothes
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. suit — in cards
  21. row — to paddle
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. charge — in control

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