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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pop — soda
  4. rush — hurry
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rule — government
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. field — for sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — music
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rule — a law
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. toast — bread
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stand — to bear

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