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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stand — to bear
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. sharp — clever
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. file — a document
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. file — a line of people
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. can — to be able to
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pit — a hole
  20. file — a tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. can — a tin

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