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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ball — a dance
  4. suit — to fit
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rule — government
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  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