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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. charge — electricity
  10. land — ground
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. charge — a price
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. tube — a container

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