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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. fine — all right
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — ground
  6. spell — letters
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. land — a country
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. land — to come down
  19. fine — high quality
  20. spell — magic
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spell — a short time
  23. firm — decided
  24. safe — out of danger

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