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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. band — a music group
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. swing — in golf
  7. band — a ring
  8. rule — government
  9. stand — to bear
  10. row — a line
  11. present — there
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bear — the animal
  14. present — a gift
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rule — a law
  22. present — the time now
  23. fall — to drop
  24. swing — music

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