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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rest — a break
  6. kid — child
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. kid — to tease
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. track — a path
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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