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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tube — a container
  8. squash — the sport
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. suit — to fit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. content — happy
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. season — of the year
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. season — in sport

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