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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. face — to confront
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. face — to point toward

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