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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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Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. chest — of your body
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chest — a box
  13. mate — a partner
  14. chest — of your body
  15. kid — child
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mate — a friend
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rest — a break

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