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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stand — to bear
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fall — the season
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. sharp — clever
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — ministers

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