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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. charge — in control
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. last — final
  7. charge — a price
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. suit — clothes
  12. last — to go on
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. last — finally
  16. row — to paddle
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. row — a line
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hand — in cards
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stand — to bear

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