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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 116 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mug — to rob
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cold — not warm
  13. root — of a word
  14. wake — a trail
  15. root — the cause
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. tube — a container
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wind — moving air

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