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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. swing — in golf
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kid — child
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stand — to bear
  12. saw — the tool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. kid — to tease
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — for spectators

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