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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. season — in sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tear — from crying
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. tear — to rip
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wake — a trail
  12. season — of the year
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. spring — a coil
  17. present — there
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. spring — the season
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spring — of water

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