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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · rush · lie · fork · wound · fine · game · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. game — a match
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cold — not warm
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cold — an illness
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. game — a kind of play

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