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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cell — in biology
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. band — a music group
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cell — a phone
  12. band — a ring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — wild animals
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. game — a match
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bore — to drill

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