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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: toast · mine · pop · leaves · saw · stand · squash · bear

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stand — to bear
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pop — music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pop — to visit
  13. toast — bread
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. squash — to crush
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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