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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — to eat
  5. charge — in control
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. charge — a price
  8. fall — to drop
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a great time
  11. tear — to rip
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cap — a lid
  24. charge — electricity

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