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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: stand · squash · hide · racket · coach · wind · bore · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bore — to tire
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bore — to drill
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cap — of ice
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — the sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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