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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. kick — in football
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wound — an injury
  22. swing — music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cold — an illness

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