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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — completely
  3. firm — a company
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. firm — decided
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. firm — steady
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators

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