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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. shower — to wash
  5. last — final
  6. stand — to bear
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. season — in sport
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. season — of the year
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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