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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. squash — the sport
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. file — a line of people
  15. track — a path
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. track — a song
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — to keep track
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stand — to bear

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