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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. land — to come down
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — to bear
  10. land — ground
  11. fine — all right
  12. bound — certain
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fine — high quality
  15. season — of the year
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. land — a country
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. season — in sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stand — on your feet

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