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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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468
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: cap · temple · rash · suit · hide · land · fall · stand

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fall — the season
  4. land — ground
  5. suit — to fit
  6. land — a country
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rash — hasty
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stand — to bear
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cap — of ice
  19. suit — in cards
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hide — animal skin

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