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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. dip — to sink
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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