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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — a committee
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — a tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mug — a face
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. board — to get on
  24. bat — the animal

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