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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bound — certain
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bound — obliged
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bound — tied together

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