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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. craft — boats
  5. last — to go on
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rest — what's left
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. field — a subject
  10. last — final
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rest — a break
  14. season — of the year
  15. field — farmland
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. snap — to click
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rest — what's left
  23. field — for sport
  24. last — finally

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