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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. capital — money
  5. hand — help
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. last — final
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stem — to come from
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. last — to go on
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. last — finally
  24. prune — the fruit

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