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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 met the new head ________________?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chest — of your body
  6. suit — clothes
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — all right
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chest — a box
  16. toast — bread
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. suit — to fit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fine — high quality
  23. suit — in cards
  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