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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. perch — the fish
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ground — a position
  6. shower — rain
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — to bear
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lean — thin
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. lean — to rest against

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