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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 the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cell — a phone
  3. spell — a short time
  4. toast — bread
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. net — in sport
  17. cue — a signal
  18. net — for catching
  19. spell — magic
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cue — a hint
  22. net — after costs
  23. spell — letters
  24. cell — in a prison

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