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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. calf — of the leg
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — a position
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ground — crushed
  18. key — in music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. safe — out of danger
  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