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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. last — finally
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chair — a leader
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. last — to go on
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rash — hasty
  21. last — final
  22. rash — a series
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bulb — of a plant

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