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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rock — music
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cold — an illness
  15. present — there
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bass — low music
  18. present — the time now
  19. spell — magic
  20. present — a gift
  21. spell — letters
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rock — to move gently

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