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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ball — a great time
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ball — a dance
  13. kid — child
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. date — the fruit
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bay — a horse colour

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