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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. present — the time now
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rest — a break
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — a gift
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mug — a cup
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — to rob
  21. present — there
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. mug — a face

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