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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mate — a friend
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mine — for digging
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ball — a great time
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. squash — the 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