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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lie — to recline
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. march — music
  8. club — for golf
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rash — a series
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rash — hasty

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