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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. roll — a list
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. object — a thing
  6. stand — to bear
  7. dip — to sink
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. object — to protest
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. object — an aim
  15. row — a line
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. roll — a cake
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. row — to paddle

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