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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. land — ground
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. spell — magic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stand — to bear
  17. land — to come down
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. land — a country
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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