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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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. game — a match
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — the season
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tube — a container

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