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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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 — to bear
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. tear — from crying
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. current — happening now
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pop — music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. current — of water
  18. pop — to visit
  19. current — electric
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. tear — to rip
  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