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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. kick — in football
  6. present — there
  7. rest — what's left
  8. key — in music
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fall — to drop
  12. present — the time now
  13. face — to confront
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rest — a break
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. present — a gift
  20. cold — an illness
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — to bear
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cold — not warm

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