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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. last — to go on
  5. club — for golf
  6. mate — a partner
  7. craft — a skill
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fall — to drop
  17. last — finally
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. club — for dancing
  20. last — final
  21. club — a group
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. craft — boats
  24. mate — a friend

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