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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. file — a document
  4. lean — thin
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hand — help
  18. file — a tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lean — to bend
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — a face
  24. ball — a great time

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