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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fall — the season
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. file — a line of people
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. file — a document
  10. kick — in football
  11. rash — a series
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — all right
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. file — a tool
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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