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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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. stand — for spectators
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — to breed
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — help
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. clip — a video
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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