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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. track — a song
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. row — a line
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pass — a permit
  14. branch — a division
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — a path
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. row — to paddle

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