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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chair — a leader
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. scale — in music
  18. rock — music

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