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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stand — to bear
  3. object — an aim
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lean — thin
  6. object — to protest
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. field — farmland
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. object — a thing
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lean — to bend

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