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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — to protest
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. race — a contest
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. race — the arms race
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. race — humankind
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. face — to point toward

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