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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. staff — a stick
  9. track — a song
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. staff — employees
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. staff — employees

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