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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.

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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. kick — in football
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spell — letters
  7. mate — to breed
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. spell — magic
  10. bound — tied together
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. club — for dancing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. club — a group
  15. mate — a friend
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. club — for golf
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chest — a box
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bound — certain

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