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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · fall · chair · mouse · hide · hand · stand · rule

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rule — a law
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. hide — to keep secret

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