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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wake — a trail
  4. season — in sport
  5. fine — all right
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mate — to breed
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bore — to drill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. season — of the year
  19. mate — a friend
  20. foot — a measure
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fine — high quality
  24. squash — the vegetable

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