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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. file — a tool
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. track — a path
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. face — to confront
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. face — to point toward
  11. file — a line of people
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. staff — employees
  16. track — a song
  17. land — to come down
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. file — a document
  20. staff — employees
  21. land — ground
  22. track — to keep track
  23. face — part of the head
  24. land — a country

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