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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. file — a tool
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a document
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lie — to recline
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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