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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. craft — boats
  4. mate — a partner
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mate — a friend
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kick — in football
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fall — the season
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mate — to breed

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