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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. last — finally
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. charge — a price
  9. swing — music
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. last — final
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wind — moving air
  15. charge — in control
  16. wind — moving air
  17. swing — in golf
  18. charge — electricity
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stand — to bear
  22. last — to go on
  23. cold — an illness
  24. plane — an aircraft

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