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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cap — a hat
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lean — thin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stand — to bear

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