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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bound — certain
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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