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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. perch — the fish
  4. file — a document
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. land — a country
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. object — a thing
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. object — to protest
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. kid — child
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. file — a line of people
  23. object — an aim
  24. stem — of a plant

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