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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cold — an illness
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — a friend
  8. root — of a plant
  9. track — a path
  10. mate — a partner
  11. root — of a word
  12. file — a line of people
  13. track — a song
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. root — the cause
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cue — a signal
  21. file — a document
  22. mate — to breed
  23. file — a tool
  24. track — to keep track

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