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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 found your soul ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bound — tied together
  7. key — for a lock
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mate — to breed
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. row — a line
  17. ball — a dance
  18. key — in music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bound — certain
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bound — obliged

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