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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mate — a partner
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bear — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bear — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fan — to cool the air

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