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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fall — the season
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — for a lock
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cell — a phone

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