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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. season — in sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. season — of the year
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mate — to breed
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mate — a friend
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — help
  18. mate — a partner
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bear — to put up with

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