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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. field — a subject
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — the season
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. race — humankind
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — to play on
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stand — to bear
  15. race — the arms race
  16. season — in sport
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — music
  21. race — a contest
  22. field — farmland
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bulb — of a plant

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