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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cap — of ice
  10. season — of the year
  11. chair — a leader
  12. tear — from crying
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. tear — to rip
  21. file — a document
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. chair — a professorship

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