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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rash — a series
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. chip — to eat
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chip — for betting
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kick — in football
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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