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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bulb — for light
  6. drill — army training
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. drill — a practice
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. drill — the tool
  16. file — a document
  17. pass — a permit
  18. charge — in control
  19. file — a tool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. charge — a price

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