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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rash — a series
  19. lean — thin
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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