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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mine — for digging
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. lean — thin
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mine — belonging to me

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