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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. court — for sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. court — of law
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wound — an injury
  18. court — of a king
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mate — a partner

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