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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. kick — in football
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. season — in sport
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fall — the season
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bass — low music
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pound — a weight
  17. season — of the year
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. saw — the tool

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