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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: stand · lie · mug · rule · toast · ground · fan · game

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mug — a face
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. game — a match
  19. mug — to rob
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — an untruth

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