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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — the time now
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. present — a gift
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. last — to go on
  15. present — there
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tear — from crying
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. last — final
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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