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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. roll — a list
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — a stone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. last — final
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. track — to keep track
  12. last — to go on
  13. rock — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. last — finally
  17. track — a song
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. face — to confront
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. face — to point toward
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cell — a phone
  24. coach — a trainer

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