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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pound — a weight
  4. kid — child
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. firm — decided
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. kid — to tease
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. firm — steady
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wake — a trail
  22. firm — a company
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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