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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. firm — steady
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stand — to bear
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. kid — child
  12. fall — the season
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — a tool
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fall — to drop
  20. firm — decided
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. firm — a company
  24. bulb — for light

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