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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — farmland
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mate — a friend
  7. march — the month
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rest — a break
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. march — music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fall — the season
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. mate — a partner
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stand — to bear

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