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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 ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. present — there
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lie — to recline
  5. present — a gift
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — the amount
  12. chest — of your body
  13. content — happy
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stand — to bear
  18. present — the time now
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chest — a box
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stand — for spectators
  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