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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rock — music
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — for money
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — of a tree

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