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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. track — to keep track
  3. shower — rain
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stand — to bear
  11. face — part of the head
  12. track — a song
  13. club — for golf
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitch — completely
  16. face — to point toward
  17. shower — to wash
  18. track — a path
  19. fall — the season
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. face — to confront
  22. club — a group
  23. fall — to drop
  24. file — a document

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