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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · kick · leaves · wake · game · rest · nail · stand

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wake — a trail
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stand — to bear
  22. kick — in football
  23. game — wild animals
  24. leaves — lets stay

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