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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. race — a contest
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. season — of the year
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — letters
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. race — humankind
  14. bore — to tire
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. spell — magic
  19. season — in sport
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bore — to drill
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stand — to bear

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