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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — to bear
  5. file — a tool
  6. fall — the season
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. file — a document
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. staff — employees
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fall — to drop
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bear — the animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. staff — employees
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rush — hurry
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bear — the animal

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