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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rule — government
  5. key — for a lock
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wound — an injury
  8. key — in music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rule — a law
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wound — an injury
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. coach — a trainer

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