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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stand — to bear
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. game — a match
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rush — to hurry
  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