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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — in football
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. stock — shares
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fall — the season
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mug — a face
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stock — goods
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rest — a break
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fall — to drop

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