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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mate — a partner
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. track — a path
  6. bound — certain
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — a song
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — to keep track
  22. tube — a container
  23. mate — a friend
  24. coach — a trainer

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