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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — for golf
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. club — for dancing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. tube — a container
  19. bat — the animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. club — a group
  24. tube — the underground

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