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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — a friend
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mate — to breed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cold — not warm
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pop — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — soda
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. temple — a place of worship

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