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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. pass — a permit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fall — the season
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hand — help
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. row — a quarrel

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