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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stand — to bear
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. face — to confront
  6. ground — a position
  7. mug — a face
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fall — the season
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — a cup
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. face — part of the head
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. face — to point toward
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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