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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fall — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bank — for money
  24. stand — on your feet

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