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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cold — not warm
  14. lean — thin
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rest — a break
  17. kick — in football
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cold — an illness
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. coach — a trainer

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