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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: fall · fan · stand · rest · drill · safe · rule · press

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — government
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rule — a law
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. drill — the tool
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — a break
  19. press — to push
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. drill — army training
  23. fall — the season
  24. drill — a practice

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