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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cold — not warm
  5. season — in sport
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. season — of the year
  13. fall — to drop
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rock — music
  21. fall — the season
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stand — to bear
  24. perch — for a bird

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