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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. foot — a measure
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cold — not warm
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mate — a friend
  12. spell — letters
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cold — an illness
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. drill — army training
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mate — a partner
  23. spell — magic
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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