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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fall — the season
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rest — a break
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mug — to rob
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fall — to drop

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