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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. board — a committee
  3. last — to go on
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. track — a path
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stand — to bear
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. last — finally
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. track — a song
  15. mate — to breed
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mate — a friend
  20. season — in sport
  21. last — final
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mate — a partner

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