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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · ruler · mine · squash · chair · season · lie · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chair — a leader
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — to recline
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mate — a partner
  24. season — of the year

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