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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. file — a tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. spell — a short time
  5. drill — the tool
  6. spell — letters
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. file — a document
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. file — a line of people
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lean — to bend
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bear — the animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. spell — magic
  24. stand — to bear

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