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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cell — in biology
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fall — the season
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. chip — for betting
  11. board — a committee
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. scale — size or range
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — thin
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cell — a phone
  23. scale — in music
  24. board — to get on

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