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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — in a race
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — a series
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. calf — a young animal

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