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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. land — to come down
  3. bat — the animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. row — to paddle
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. row — a line
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. land — ground
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. land — a country
  19. fine — all right
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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