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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bound — certain
  15. file — a document
  16. stock — goods
  17. bound — tied together
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stock — shares

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