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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stand — to bear
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. file — a line of people
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a document
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. kick — in football
  18. club — for dancing
  19. suit — in cards
  20. file — a tool
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. club — a group
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mouse — for a computer

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