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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. roll — a cake
  3. spring — of water
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bass — the fish
  6. face — to point toward
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bass — low music
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ground — crushed
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. ground — the earth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ground — a position
  22. spring — the season
  23. face — to confront
  24. roll — a list

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