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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lean — thin
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. swing — in golf
  13. roll — a list
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — a trail
  22. swing — music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. roll — a cake

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