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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. game — wild animals
  3. can — a tin
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fall — to drop
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fall — the season
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. can — a tin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. game — a match
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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