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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ground — the earth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. last — finally
  6. ground — crushed
  7. last — final
  8. ground — a position
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. kick — in football
  11. mate — a friend
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. last — to go on
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mate — a partner
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. dip — to dunk

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