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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. firm — decided
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fall — the season
  13. mug — to rob
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. land — a country
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rock — music

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