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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tear — to rip
  3. spell — letters
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spell — a short time
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. season — of the year
  9. tear — from crying
  10. content — the amount
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. spell — magic
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. season — in sport
  18. stand — to bear
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. straw — dry grass

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