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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. drill — a practice
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. track — a song
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mug — to rob
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mug — a face
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. deal — to handle
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. drill — the tool
  19. track — a path
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. track — to keep track
  23. drill — army training
  24. temple — a place of worship

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