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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 120 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. staff — employees
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. staff — employees
  11. snap — to click
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chair — a leader
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ground — a position
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chair — to sit on

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