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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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. vault — in gymnastics
  4. field — a subject
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lie — to recline
  9. last — to go on
  10. field — for sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — in a race
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. field — farmland
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stand — to bear

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