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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mug — a face
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. shower — rain
  8. row — a line
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mug — a cup
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mine — for digging
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. sharp — clever
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. shower — to wash
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mug — to rob

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