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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. land — to come down
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mate — a friend
  9. suit — in cards
  10. land — ground
  11. scale — size or range
  12. land — a country
  13. stem — to come from
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — in music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. kick — in football
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mate — to breed
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. suit — clothes
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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