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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. drill — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — army training
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rash — hasty
  10. drill — a practice
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stand — to bear
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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