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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cue — for pool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. object — to protest
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ground — a position
  13. cue — a hint
  14. object — a thing
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. branch — a division
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. object — an aim
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hand — help
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hand — in cards
  24. branch — of a bank

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