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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mate — a partner
  3. hand — help
  4. spring — the season
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mate — to breed
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. staff — employees
  15. mate — a friend
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spring — of water
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. staff — employees
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fine — all right
  24. staff — a stick

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