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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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 — for spectators
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. content — the amount
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. spring — a coil
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. craft — boats
  12. spell — letters
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spring — the season
  18. stand — to bear
  19. content — happy
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. spell — magic
  23. spring — of water
  24. craft — a handicraft

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