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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. toast — bread
  5. firm — steady
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a great time
  9. land — a country
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — a company
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ball — a dance
  17. land — to come down
  18. fall — to drop
  19. land — ground
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. firm — decided
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ball — a round shape

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