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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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. stand — for spectators
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rock — music
  9. court — of law
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rock — a stone
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. fall — to drop
  15. face — to confront
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bat — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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