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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fall — the season
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. spell — letters
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pop — music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. spell — magic
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pop — soda
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spell — a short time
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mug — a face

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