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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — employees
  5. mate — to breed
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. tube — a container
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mate — a partner
  12. staff — a stick
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chest — of your body
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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