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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. firm — steady
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wind — moving air
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. firm — decided
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. row — to paddle
  13. firm — a company
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. kick — in football
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. sharp — clever
  21. row — a line
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. coach — a trainer

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