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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fall — the season
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cell — a phone
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. suit — to fit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fall — to drop
  18. suit — in cards
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cell — in biology
  24. suit — clothes

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