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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mate — to breed
  6. firm — a company
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rock — music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chest — a box
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mate — a friend
  21. firm — decided
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. shower — rain
  24. rock — to move gently

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