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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fall — the season
  3. kick — in football
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fall — to drop
  6. net — after costs
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stand — to bear
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bowl — a football final

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