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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lean — thin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fall — the season
  8. race — the arms race
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. race — a contest
  16. fall — to drop
  17. charge — in control
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. race — humankind
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. charge — a price

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