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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. object — an aim
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chest — of your body
  10. object — to protest
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chest — a box
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. deal — to handle
  19. object — a thing
  20. stand — to bear
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. coach — a trainer
  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