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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cell — in biology
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stand — to bear
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cell — a phone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bat — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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