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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. object — a thing
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rule — a law
  9. object — to protest
  10. rest — a break
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rule — government
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. object — an aim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bat — the animal

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