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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. tube — the underground
  5. last — final
  6. pop — music
  7. tube — a container
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. row — a line
  14. bear — the animal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. last — finally
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pop — to visit
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pop — soda

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