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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — in biology
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. row — to paddle
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stand — to bear
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. row — a line
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cell — a phone
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. capital — money

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