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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. land — to come down
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. firm — steady
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. firm — a company
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — rain
  12. firm — decided
  13. land — a country
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. land — ground
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. date — the fruit
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. can — to be able to
  24. shower — to wash

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