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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cold — an illness
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rest — a break
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lean — thin
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. nail — for a hammer

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