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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. last — final
  4. lie — to recline
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wake — a trail
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. stand — to bear
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. drill — army training
  24. lie — an untruth

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