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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fine — all right
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. face — to confront
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fine — high quality
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rest — a break
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bat — the animal

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