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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. root — the cause
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lean — to bend
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — thin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wind — moving air
  13. root — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wind — moving air
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. root — of a word
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. season — of the year
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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