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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mug — to rob
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mug — a face
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. spring — the season
  20. march — the month
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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