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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bore — to tire
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ground — a position
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ground — crushed
  19. key — in music
  20. fall — the season
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lean — to bend

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