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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stand — to bear
  5. track — a song
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. present — a gift
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bat — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. present — the time now
  17. track — to keep track
  18. row — a line
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fall — to drop
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rock — a stone

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