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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stand — to bear
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. swing — music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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