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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 ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fall — the season
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cue — for pool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — soda
  14. land — a country
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fall — to drop
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. cue — a hint

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