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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · chair · fall · stand · rock · fine

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fall — the season
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fine — all right
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — an agreement

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