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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rock — music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. race — a contest
  24. tear — from crying

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