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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — to come from
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rest — a break
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cold — not warm
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. leaves — to go away

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