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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. capital — money
  6. rash — a series
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — goods
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rash — hasty
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chip — for betting
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stock — shares
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fall — the season

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