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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — for betting
  6. file — a tool
  7. last — to go on
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — to bend
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chip — to eat
  13. file — a document
  14. tube — the underground
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tube — a container
  17. craft — boats
  18. last — finally
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lean — thin
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. last — final

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