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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — steady
  4. spell — letters
  5. firm — a company
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rule — a law
  8. fall — the season
  9. field — farmland
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. field — a subject
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pass — a permit
  17. game — wild animals
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. field — for sport
  21. game — a match
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spell — magic
  24. firm — decided

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