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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — a tin
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fall — the season
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. squash — the sport
  23. can — to be able to
  24. squash — to crush

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