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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — a song
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. capital — money
  6. suit — to fit
  7. track — a path
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. track — to keep track
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. chest — of your body
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. capital — a city

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