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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fall — the season
  4. key — for a lock
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — ground
  11. chip — for betting
  12. land — to come down
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cold — an illness
  17. suit — to fit
  18. key — in music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. land — a country
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mark — a grade
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cold — not warm

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