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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · stick · coach · chair · ruler · hide

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — to bear
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ruler — a monarch

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