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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fine — high quality
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fine — all right
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pit — a hole
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — a match
  24. nail — on a finger

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