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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lean — thin
  7. drill — army training
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — to bend
  10. tube — a container
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. season — in sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. board — to get on
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tube — the underground

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