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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. file — a line of people
  5. band — a ring
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rush — hurry
  8. charge — a price
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — electricity
  18. band — a music group
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. charge — in control
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — the bottom

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