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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 ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cell — in biology
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rule — government
  8. perch — the fish
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rule — a law
  14. stem — to come from
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. fall — the season
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fall — to drop
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — to bear
  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