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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rule — government
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lean — thin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lean — to bend
  24. squash — the vegetable

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