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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.

Words on the sheet
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: rash · fall · stand · lie · court · present · pass · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pass — a permit
  3. present — there
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fall — to drop
  8. court — for sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — to come down
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. court — of law
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lie — to recline
  19. court — of a king
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rash — a series
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. land — a country
  24. stand — for spectators

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