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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. land — to come down
  6. craft — boats
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bulb — for light
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fall — the season
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. land — a country
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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