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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. firm — a company
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lean — to bend
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. staff — employees
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. staff — employees
  17. season — in sport
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rash — a series
  23. firm — steady
  24. stand — for spectators

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