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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.

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: fall · object · mine · spell · coach · deal · wake · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. spell — magic
  4. fall — to drop
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fall — the season
  7. spell — letters
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. spell — a short time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. deal — to handle
  15. object — a thing
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fall — to drop

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