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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — a container
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fall — the season
  9. kick — in football
  10. row — to paddle
  11. firm — decided
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bass — low music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. row — a line
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fall — to drop
  24. firm — a company

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