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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. kick — in football
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. last — final
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. last — finally
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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