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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. snap — to click
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rash — a series
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. kid — child
  10. craft — boats
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. toast — bread
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — hasty
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. toast — the most admired

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