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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. court — of a king
  9. last — finally
  10. court — for sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. key — for a lock
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. last — to go on
  16. court — of law
  17. key — in music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mug — to rob
  21. key — the most important part
  22. last — final
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — a face

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