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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cold — an illness
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stand — to bear
  17. toast — bread
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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