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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lean — thin
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rule — a law
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stand — to bear
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. rock — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rule — government
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bat — in an idiom

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