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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mug — a face
  3. ball — a dance
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. hand — in cards
  11. tube — a container
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hand — help
  14. ball — a great time
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mug — a cup
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bore — to drill

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