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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 found your soul ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. ball — a dance
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. season — in sport
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mug — a face
  9. season — of the year
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mug — to rob
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ball — a great time
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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