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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · object · craft · shower · coach · cell

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. object — to protest
  3. shower — rain
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. object — an aim
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mate — a friend
  14. object — a thing
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. shower — to wash
  18. 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