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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. snap — to click
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mine — for digging
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rest — a break
  24. mug — to rob

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