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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: bat · pass · fall · swing · plane · stand · cell · hide

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fall — the season
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pass — a permit

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