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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. last — final
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. land — ground
  12. field — farmland
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. land — to come down
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lean — thin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pass — to succeed

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