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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. cue — a hint
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. game — a match
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. last — finally
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cue — for pool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — to bear
  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