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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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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: spring · row · leaves · suit · field · fall · toast · stand

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. field — for sport
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. spring — of water
  5. fall — to drop
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. suit — to fit
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stand — to bear
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fall — to drop
  13. field — a subject
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. suit — in cards
  16. field — farmland
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. spring — a coil
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. spring — the season
  22. fall — the season
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stand — for spectators

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