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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fall — the season
  3. march — the month
  4. lean — thin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lean — to bend
  8. march — the month
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. board — a committee
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. march — music
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. suit — clothes

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