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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mug — a face
  4. pop — soda
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pop — music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spring — the season
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spring — a coil
  23. dip — to sink
  24. spring — of water

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