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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — a contest
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chip — for betting
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kid — child
  15. root — the cause
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — the season
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. race — humankind
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. chip — to eat
  22. race — the arms race
  23. lie — to recline
  24. kid — to tease

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