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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. club — for golf
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. object — to protest
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. tube — the underground
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stand — to bear
  12. tube — a container
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. club — a group
  18. object — a thing
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. club — for dancing
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lie — an untruth

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