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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fall — the season
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. court — for sport
  5. face — part of the head
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. face — to point toward
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. face — to confront
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. court — of a king
  18. chip — for betting
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chip — to eat
  22. court — of law
  23. key — in music
  24. fall — to drop

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