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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. capital — money
  3. cell — a phone
  4. tube — the underground
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cell — in biology
  8. suit — clothes
  9. capital — a city
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fall — the season
  17. tube — a container
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. suit — to fit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. suit — in cards

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