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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. season — of the year
  6. cold — an illness
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lean — to bend
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wake — a trail
  20. season — in sport
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cold — not warm
  24. swing — in golf

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