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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — clothes
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — hurry
  5. date — the fruit
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spell — magic
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. suit — to fit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lie — an untruth

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