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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. capital — a city
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wound — an injury
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. capital — money
  21. fall — the season
  22. current — of water
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. cell — a phone

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