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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. land — ground
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stand — to bear
  5. kick — in football
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. spell — a short time
  9. object — an aim
  10. bound — obliged
  11. spell — letters
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. land — to come down
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. object — a thing
  17. bound — tied together
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spell — magic
  20. object — to protest
  21. bound — certain
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. land — a country
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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