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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lie — to recline
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fall — the season
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fall — to drop
  15. vault — a safe
  16. season — in sport
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — music
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pitch — completely
  24. season — of the year

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