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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. ball — a dance
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a ring
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — an injury

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