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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 120 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. march — the month
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. march — music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. march — the month
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rush — a thrill

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