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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mate — a friend
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cap — a hat
  14. date — the fruit
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mate — to breed
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pop — music
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pop — soda
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. snap — to click
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cap — a lid

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