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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. sharp — clever
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. present — there
  11. lie — to recline
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. root — the cause
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. root — of a word
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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