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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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