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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rule — a law
  5. rush — hurry
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stand — to bear
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rule — government
  13. land — to come down
  14. tear — from crying
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. land — ground
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. track — a song
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. land — a country
  23. track — a path
  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