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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. file — a tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a document
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — farmland
  15. file — a line of people
  16. field — for sport
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. field — a subject
  24. fall — to drop

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