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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. season — of the year
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mate — to breed
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mate — a partner
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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