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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pit — in a race
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. swing — music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — a line

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