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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. field — a subject
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. field — for sport
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. field — farmland
  18. foot — a measure
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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