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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rule — government
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. rule — a law
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fan — to cool the air

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