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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rule — government
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. net — after costs
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. net — for catching
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — in sport
  24. fall — the season

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