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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fine — all right
  5. track — a song
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. hand — help
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hand — in cards
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. can — a tin
  20. fine — high quality
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wound — an injury

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