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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 124 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. toast — bread
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fall — to drop
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fall — the season
  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