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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kick — in football
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. swing — in golf
  13. present — a gift
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mine — for digging
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. present — the time now
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. swing — music
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — an explosive

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