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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. object — an aim
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. object — to protest
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cell — in biology
  13. object — a thing
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pound — a weight
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cell — a phone

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