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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ground — a position
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stand — to bear
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. staff — employees
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rush — hurry
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. staff — employees
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ground — the earth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — to hurry

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