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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bound — certain
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rash — a series
  23. fall — the season
  24. kid — child

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