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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. shower — rain
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mate — a partner
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. key — in music
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mate — a friend
  18. face — part of the head
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. face — to confront
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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