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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bore — to tire
  5. court — for sport
  6. row — a line
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. court — of a king
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. row — to paddle
  17. court — of law
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bass — low music

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