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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stand — to bear
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lean — to bend
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — thin
  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