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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fall — to drop
  3. swing — to play on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — of the year
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. last — finally
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — to paddle
  15. swing — music
  16. row — a line
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stand — to bear
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. last — to go on
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — in sport
  24. bank — of a river

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