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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 120 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mug — a face
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. present — a gift
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. present — there
  13. fine — high quality
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rule — government
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rule — a law
  18. present — the time now
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fine — all right
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — on your feet

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