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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. kick — in football
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. row — a line
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. bass — low music
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stand — to bear
  24. row — to paddle

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