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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. object — a thing
  3. rest — a break
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cold — not warm
  8. object — an aim
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cold — an illness
  13. ground — a position
  14. object — to protest
  15. band — a music group
  16. spring — the season
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a ring
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — a coil
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — of water

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