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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. rest — what's left
  6. field — for sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chest — a box
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. field — a subject
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bear — the animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. chest — of your body
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. field — farmland

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