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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. present — a gift
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — there
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. present — the time now
  7. field — for sport
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wind — moving air
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. field — a subject
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. field — farmland
  24. hide — to keep secret

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