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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. spring — of water
  4. can — to be able to
  5. spring — a coil
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spring — the season
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. kid — child
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. can — a tin
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. can — a tin

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