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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — a city
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. capital — money
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wound — an injury
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. present — a gift
  14. rest — what's left
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rest — a break
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cold — an illness

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