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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bulb — for light
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. degree — from a university
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. hand — help
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lie — to recline

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