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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. kick — in football
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. land — to come down
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. land — ground
  12. fall — the season
  13. suit — to fit
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. land — a country
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. suit — in cards

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