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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — the month
  4. ground — a position
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — in football
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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