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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ground — the earth
  5. object — an aim
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. object — a thing
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spring — the season
  10. ground — a position
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — of water
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stand — to bear
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pit — a hole
  21. object — to protest
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cold — not warm
  24. ground — crushed

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