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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: season · club · dip · stand · rule · firm · snap · fall

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rule — a law
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — of the year
  8. club — for golf
  9. rule — government
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fall — the season
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. firm — decided
  22. season — in sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. dip — to sink

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