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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. stand — to bear
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mug — a face
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. degree — an amount
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rule — government
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rule — a law
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lie — an untruth

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