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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. land — ground
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mug — to rob
  9. land — to come down
  10. mug — a cup
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mug — a face
  13. degree — from a university
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. degree — an amount
  20. land — a country
  21. bat — the animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hide — animal skin

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