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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ground — a position
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. ground — crushed
  6. charge — in control
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wound — an injury
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kick — in football
  16. charge — electricity
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — a price
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bear — the animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. saw — the tool

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