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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. last — final
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. last — to go on
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. degree — temperature
  11. kick — in football
  12. suit — in cards
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. suit — to fit
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. degree — from a university
  21. suit — clothes
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lean — thin
  24. last — finally

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