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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — of a word
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — the cause
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — a cake
  15. stand — to bear
  16. root — of a plant
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lean — thin
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. roll — a list
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stand — for spectators

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