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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chip — for betting
  4. object — a thing
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rule — a law
  8. object — to protest
  9. rock — music
  10. drill — army training
  11. rock — a stone
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fall — the season
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rule — government
  20. fall — to drop
  21. object — an aim
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mate — to breed
  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