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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. season — of the year
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tear — to rip
  9. season — in sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stand — to bear
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hand — help
  24. cabinet — ministers

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