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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bat — the animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. object — to protest
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. season — of the year
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. object — a thing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. season — in sport

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