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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spring — of water
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. spring — a coil
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spring — the season
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — hurry
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rush — a thrill

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