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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 124 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — to eat
  5. suit — to fit
  6. staff — employees
  7. cold — not warm
  8. fall — the season
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chair — a leader
  19. staff — employees
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chip — for betting
  24. staff — a stick

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