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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. suit — in cards
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wake — a trail
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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