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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cap — a hat
  3. current — happening now
  4. cue — for pool
  5. current — of water
  6. cue — a signal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. current — electric
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cue — a hint

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