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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fall — to drop
  13. spring — of water
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. saw — the tool
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mine — for digging
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. fall — to drop
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. arm — part of the body

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