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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. firm — a company
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ground — the earth
  9. tear — from crying
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ground — crushed
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. firm — decided
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. firm — steady
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ground — a position

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