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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fall — the season
  4. file — a tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. file — a document
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. last — final
  10. season — in sport
  11. net — in sport
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. last — to go on
  16. season — of the year
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — finally
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. net — for catching
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. net — after costs
  24. hand — help

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