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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. last — to go on
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — crushed
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cell — a phone
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. last — final
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — for betting
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ground — a position
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chip — to eat
  23. hand — help
  24. last — finally

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