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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mate — a partner
  7. key — in music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mate — to breed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. march — music
  20. snap — to click
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — what's left

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