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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bear — the animal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chest — of your body
  10. suit — clothes
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chest — of your body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. last — to go on
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. suit — in cards
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chest — a box
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. suit — to fit

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