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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fall — to drop
  6. firm — decided
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. march — music
  13. spell — letters
  14. game — wild animals
  15. firm — steady
  16. game — a match
  17. march — the month
  18. fall — the season
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. plane — a tool
  21. march — the month
  22. toast — bread
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stand — to bear

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