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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. craft — boats
  4. spring — the season
  5. stand — to bear
  6. roll — a cake
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — a path
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a skill
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. track — to keep track
  17. spring — of water
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. roll — a list
  21. track — a song
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stand — on your feet

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