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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 120 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. capital — money
  8. season — of the year
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mug — to rob
  12. capital — a city
  13. mug — a face
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fall — the season
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — help
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lean — thin

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