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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fall — the season
  7. season — of the year
  8. key — in music
  9. season — in sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mate — a partner
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pit — in a race
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mate — a friend

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