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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pop — soda
  5. cap — of ice
  6. present — there
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cell — in biology
  9. present — the time now
  10. firm — decided
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cell — a phone
  15. object — to protest
  16. firm — a company
  17. object — a thing
  18. pop — music
  19. firm — steady
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. object — an aim
  23. present — a gift
  24. pop — to visit

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