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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rule — a law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bass — low music
  9. club — for golf
  10. bass — the fish
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rule — government
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. net — for catching
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. club — a group
  19. mine — for digging
  20. suit — clothes
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — after costs
  23. suit — to fit
  24. net — in sport

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