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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 124 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: rule · fall · stand · mark · swing · cap · bass · face

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bass — the fish
  12. face — part of the head
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rule — government
  17. fall — the season
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bass — low music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. face — to confront
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mark — a trace

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