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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. staff — employees
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — for betting
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fall — the season
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mouse — for a computer

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