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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — a permit
  15. firm — steady
  16. swing — music
  17. firm — a company
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cell — in biology

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