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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. present — there
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. present — a gift
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. trunk — of a tree

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