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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. swing — in golf
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a tool
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. staff — a stick
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. staff — employees
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. swing — music
  18. band — a ring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. swing — to play on
  23. band — a music group
  24. stand — for spectators

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