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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. season — in sport
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stand — to bear
  13. prune — to trim
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — of the year
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pit — in a race
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. fall — the season

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