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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. track — a path
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mate — to breed
  8. track — a song
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mate — a partner

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