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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — a container
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — the season
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cue — for pool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. arm — part of the body

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