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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rush — hurry
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. scale — in music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. band — a ring
  13. scale — size or range
  14. present — there
  15. shower — to wash
  16. present — the time now
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lie — to recline
  20. shower — rain
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — a gift
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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