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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spring — of water
  4. rule — government
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stand — to bear
  11. track — to keep track
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spring — the season
  19. track — a path
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rule — a law
  22. track — a song
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rash — hasty

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