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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fall — the season
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fall — to drop
  8. game — wild animals
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. roll — a list
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — to confront
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. game — a match

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