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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. firm — decided
  3. mate — to breed
  4. firm — steady
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bass — the fish
  11. firm — a company
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wake — a trail
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fall — the season
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bass — low music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stand — for spectators

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