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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. band — a music group
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fall — the season
  6. band — a ring
  7. file — a tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pop — to visit
  14. file — a document
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pop — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lie — an untruth

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