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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: chest · toast · race · coach · stand · charge · bound · mark

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. toast — bread
  8. race — humankind
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chest — of your body
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bound — tied together
  16. race — a contest
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bound — certain
  22. chest — a box
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bound — obliged

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