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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bound — obliged
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bound — certain
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rash — a series
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cap — of ice
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. can — a tin
  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