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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. suit — in cards
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pop — to visit
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — music
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pop — soda
  17. cold — not warm
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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