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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mug — a face
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mug — a cup

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