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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pop — music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pop — to visit
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pop — soda
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — thin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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