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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. last — finally
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. firm — a company
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. last — to go on
  23. press — newspapers
  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