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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. club — for dancing
  5. land — a country
  6. firm — steady
  7. land — to come down
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. club — for golf
  12. snap — to click
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wind — moving air
  15. squash — the sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. club — a group
  22. land — ground
  23. firm — a company
  24. arm — part of the body

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