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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kid — child
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. root — the cause
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mate — a friend
  10. root — of a word
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. ball — a great time
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mug — a face
  19. tube — the underground
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tube — a container
  22. mate — to breed
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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