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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spell — magic
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mate — to breed
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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