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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cell — a phone
  5. board — a committee
  6. spring — of water
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. board — to get on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spring — the season
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spring — a coil
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rush — hurry

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