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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: kid · pit · cold · coach · shower · lash · bank · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cold — not warm
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kid — to tease
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bank — for money
  18. kid — child
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. shower — rain
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bank — of a river
  24. shower — to wash

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