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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. firm — steady
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. firm — a company
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — a hat
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — a hint
  14. march — the month
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. firm — decided
  20. tear — to rip
  21. cue — a signal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stand — to bear

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