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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — the time now
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. track — to keep track
  11. present — a gift
  12. land — to come down
  13. wound — an injury
  14. present — there
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — a song
  18. fall — the season
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. track — a path

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