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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mate — a partner
  18. saw — the tool
  19. toast — bread
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pitch — completely
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mate — a friend

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