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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mate — to breed
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — a friend
  18. spell — magic
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cap — a lid
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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