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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. shower — to wash
  5. can — to be able to
  6. shower — rain
  7. game — a match
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — a tin
  10. fall — the season
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kick — in football
  13. bank — for money
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kick — with a leg

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