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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.

Make a worksheet

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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kick — in football
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. game — a match
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. game — wild animals
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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