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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mug — a face
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. season — in sport
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. season — of the year
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chest — of your body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. squash — the vegetable

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