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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — a gift
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — to come down
  8. fall — the season
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. land — ground
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. race — humankind
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — a measure
  17. present — the time now
  18. race — the arms race
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fall — to drop
  21. race — a contest
  22. kick — in football
  23. land — a country
  24. present — there

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