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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. foot — a measure
  3. can — to be able to
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. can — a tin
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. can — a tin
  13. vault — a safe
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wind — to turn a key

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