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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. plane — a tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cap — a hat
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. net — for catching
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fall — the season
  12. rest — what's left
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. net — in sport
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rest — a break
  24. pitcher — a jug

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