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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. land — a country
  3. firm — steady
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lean — to bend
  10. firm — decided
  11. roll — a list
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cold — not warm
  14. firm — a company
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lean — thin
  17. cold — an illness
  18. stand — to bear
  19. land — to come down
  20. rush — hurry
  21. row — a line
  22. land — ground
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stand — on your feet

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