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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spell — letters
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tube — a container
  14. board — to get on
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. suit — in cards
  17. spell — magic
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. board — a committee
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — the underground
  24. board — a flat piece

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