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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pit — a hole
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pit — in a race
  14. band — a ring
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. band — a music group
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stand — to bear

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