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

Word bank: cold · coach · stick · chest · stand · ruler · wave · cabinet

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chest — a box
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — an illness
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cold — not warm

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