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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. board — to get on
  6. pit — a hole
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tear — from crying
  12. hand — help
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — a break
  17. mark — a trace
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rest — what's left
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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