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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cap — a hat
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cap — a lid
  7. track — a song
  8. fall — the season
  9. land — to come down
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stand — to bear
  16. track — to keep track
  17. land — a country
  18. craft — boats
  19. land — ground
  20. craft — a skill
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. track — a path
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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