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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. saw — the tool
  4. firm — a company
  5. land — to come down
  6. firm — decided
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. land — ground
  9. club — a group
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cap — of ice
  21. land — a country
  22. kick — in football
  23. firm — steady
  24. cap — a lid

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