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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. season — in sport
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. foot — a measure
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wind — moving air
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. last — finally
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. shower — rain
  13. last — final
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. season — of the year
  24. wind — to turn a key

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