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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mug — a face
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ball — a dance
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mug — to rob
  8. tear — to rip
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tear — from crying
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. branch — a division
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. key — in music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. ball — a great time
  24. kick — with a leg

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