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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 124 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ground — the earth
  9. face — to confront
  10. ground — crushed
  11. present — the time now
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ground — a position
  17. present — there
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. degree — an amount
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. present — a gift
  24. face — part of the head

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