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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fall — to drop
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. chip — to eat
  10. file — a line of people
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. file — a tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. chip — for betting
  18. file — a document
  19. fall — the season
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. craft — boats
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. craft — a skill

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