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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. date — the fruit
  4. tube — a container
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — to bear
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wake — a trail
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wake — before a funeral

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