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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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. net — after costs
  4. root — of a word
  5. last — to go on
  6. rest — a break
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. net — in sport
  9. last — finally
  10. mate — a friend
  11. net — for catching
  12. mate — to breed
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — final
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tube — a container
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — the cause
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mate — a partner

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