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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stand — to bear
  4. snap — to click
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ground — a position
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rest — what's left
  15. object — a thing
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mate — a friend

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