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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lean — thin
  9. pound — a weight
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. row — to paddle
  16. foot — a measure
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. row — a line
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. face — part of the head

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