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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stand — to bear
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. swing — music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fork — in a road
  15. board — to get on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wind — moving air

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