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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hand — help
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. tube — a container
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hand — in cards
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. plane — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chair — a leader
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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