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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. tube — the underground
  16. file — a document
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. saw — the tool
  20. file — a tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tube — a container
  23. file — a line of people
  24. toast — bread

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