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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tear — from crying
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mark — a trace
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. last — finally
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. last — to go on
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. game — a match
  16. mark — a grade
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. tear — from crying
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. last — final

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