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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — decided
  3. can — to be able to
  4. season — in sport
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. season — of the year
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hand — help
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cap — a hat
  15. can — a tin
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. firm — a company
  18. stand — to bear
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — a tin
  22. firm — steady
  23. rest — what's left
  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