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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cue — a signal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — a hint
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fine — high quality

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