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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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Word bank
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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: suit · march · cell · stand · rule · lie

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. lie — to recline
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. march — the month
  13. rule — government
  14. cell — in biology
  15. march — the month
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — a law
  18. march — music

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