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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spring — the season
  5. file — a tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. race — the arms race
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rest — a break
  12. spring — of water
  13. file — a document
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. race — humankind
  17. object — to protest
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spring — a coil
  20. content — happy
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. race — a contest
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. file — a line of people

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