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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 · snap · tube

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. 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 — a stone
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rock — music
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fine — high quality
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fine — all right
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stand — to bear
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fall — the season
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. tube — the underground
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. snap — to click
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. 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