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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mine — for digging
  20. game — a match
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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