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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. season — in sport
  3. ball — a dance
  4. root — the cause
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. board — a committee
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. root — of a word
  15. board — to get on
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. object — an aim
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kick — in football
  21. root — of a plant
  22. object — a thing
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. object — to protest

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