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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. face — part of the head
  3. field — for sport
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. firm — decided
  6. face — to confront
  7. firm — steady
  8. field — farmland
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fall — the season
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rush — hurry
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. firm — a company
  18. fall — to drop
  19. field — a subject
  20. craft — a skill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — to bear
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. face — to point toward

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