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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mine — for digging
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pop — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chair — a leader
  23. face — to confront
  24. mine — belonging to me

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