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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fall — the season
  3. file — a document
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stand — to bear
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a line of people
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. key — for a lock
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. key — the most important part
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. sharp — clever
  20. file — a tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lie — to recline
  24. key — in music

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