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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stand — to bear
  3. game — a match
  4. tube — a container
  5. mug — a face
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pit — a hole
  10. tube — the underground
  11. charge — in control
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pit — in a race
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. charge — a price
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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