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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. board — to get on
  10. rest — what's left
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — a break
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a committee
  18. ground — a position
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. board — a flat piece

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