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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a line of people
  10. spell — letters
  11. file — a tool
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stand — to bear
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. file — a document
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fall — the season
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. spell — magic
  24. lash — an eyelash

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