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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. land — ground
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chest — a box
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. land — to come down
  18. stem — to come from
  19. suit — in cards
  20. land — a country
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — of a plant

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