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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: stand · chair · leaves · ruler · present · sharp · stick · fall

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — a gift
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. present — the time now
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. present — there
  22. fall — the season
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stand — for spectators

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