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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: coach · fall · stand · rock · safe · wind · row · wound

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wind — moving air
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fall — the season
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rock — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — to bear
  19. row — a line
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rock — a stone

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