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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spring — of water
  6. object — to protest
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. spring — a coil
  12. object — a thing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. object — an aim
  18. staff — employees
  19. spring — the season
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pit — in a race
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitcher — a jug

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