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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — a short time
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool

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