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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — a thing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cell — in biology
  12. object — an aim
  13. ground — a position
  14. object — to protest
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cell — a phone

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