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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mate — a partner
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tear — from crying
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mug — a face
  13. mate — to breed
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tear — to rip
  17. chest — of your body
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chest — a box

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