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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. deal — to handle
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. season — in sport
  8. clip — for paper
  9. season — of the year
  10. stand — to bear
  11. present — a gift
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rush — hurry
  16. present — the time now
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. clip — to cut
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. clip — a video
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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