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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — to crush
  4. capital — a city
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. capital — money
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. pass — a permit
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rule — a law
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ground — a position
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. squash — the sport
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rule — government
  23. firm — steady
  24. fan — a supporter

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