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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mate — to breed
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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