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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stand — to bear
  6. drill — a practice
  7. press — to push
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chest — of your body
  12. land — to come down
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. drill — the tool
  17. land — ground
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. land — a country
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wake — a trail
  24. drill — army training

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