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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. land — to come down
  16. bat — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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