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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 116 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 found your soul ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. craft — boats
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mate — to breed
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. drill — army training
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. drill — a practice
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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