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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stand — to bear
  4. present — there
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spell — magic
  7. present — a gift
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. present — the time now
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spell — letters
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rock — music
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rock — a stone

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