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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 was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — to bear
  6. charge — in control
  7. lie — to recline
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. rule — government
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rest — a break
  16. field — for sport
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rule — a law
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. charge — a price
  23. kick — in football
  24. club — a group

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