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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. land — to come down
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — a tin
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. land — ground
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. land — a country
  18. mark — a trace
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hide — animal skin

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