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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fall — the season
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chair — a leader
  12. content — the amount
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. content — happy
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fan — to cool the air

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