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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. row — a line
  3. spring — the season
  4. row — to paddle
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. date — the fruit
  9. spring — of water
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. kick — in football
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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