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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pop — soda
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — hurry
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pop — music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. snap — to click
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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