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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wound — an injury
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. band — a music group
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. object — a thing
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bore — to tire
  12. object — an aim
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. object — to protest
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — to bear
  19. club — a group
  20. band — a ring
  21. bore — to drill
  22. club — for golf
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bore — gave birth

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