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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. suit — clothes
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. race — a contest
  12. suit — to fit
  13. season — of the year
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kick — in football
  18. race — humankind
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. race — the arms race
  22. season — in sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  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