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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mug — a cup
  6. court — for sport
  7. firm — a company
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lean — thin
  15. firm — decided
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mug — to rob
  20. firm — steady
  21. court — of law
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. court — of a king

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