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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mate — a partner
  4. track — a path
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rest — a break
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. track — to keep track
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. plane — a tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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