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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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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: hand · stand · roll · land · kick · bass · fall · leaves

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bass — the fish
  5. land — to come down
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. hand — help
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. roll — a list
  11. land — a country
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kick — in football
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bass — low music
  19. roll — a cake
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. land — ground
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. leaves — lets stay

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