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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chip — to eat
  8. object — an aim
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lean — thin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fall — the season
  15. file — a document
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. object — a thing
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. file — a tool
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. object — to protest
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cell — in biology

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