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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. last — final
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ground — the earth
  5. field — for sport
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. field — farmland
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — a subject
  15. last — finally
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. tube — the underground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — to point toward
  21. ground — a position
  22. last — to go on
  23. bear — the animal
  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