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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pass — a permit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lean — thin
  13. land — a country
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. land — to come down
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. land — ground

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