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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 found your soul ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pop — soda
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pop — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. row — a line

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