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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fall — the season
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wound — an injury
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — of a king
  11. stand — to bear
  12. race — humankind
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. branch — a division
  17. court — of law
  18. race — the arms race
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. court — for sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wound — an injury
  24. branch — of a bank

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