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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. file — a tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. file — a document

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