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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. land — a country
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — to bear
  11. content — happy
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. board — a committee
  18. content — the amount
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. land — to come down
  22. fall — the season
  23. land — ground
  24. straw — a straw man

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