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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. charge — a price
  5. net — after costs
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. net — in sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — in control
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. net — for catching
  24. cue — for pool

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