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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. present — there
  6. court — of law
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. court — of a king
  10. present — a gift
  11. court — for sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stand — to bear
  24. present — the time now

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