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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 met the new head ________________?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. race — a contest
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. race — humankind
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. shower — rain
  24. fan — a supporter

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