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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mate — a friend
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pit — in a race
  18. swing — in golf
  19. drill — army training
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pit — a hole
  22. drill — the tool
  23. swing — music
  24. safe — a strongbox

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