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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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. spell — a short time
  4. mug — a face
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spell — letters
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spell — magic
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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