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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — a tin
  5. mug — a face
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stand — to bear
  8. present — a gift
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. root — the cause
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. can — a tin
  23. present — the time now
  24. bat — the animal

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