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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. drill — army training
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. file — a tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — a position
  15. file — a document
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. drill — the tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. file — a line of people
  24. drill — a practice

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