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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: key · mate · cell · clip · mouse · coach · mug · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. clip — to cut
  14. key — for a lock
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. key — in music
  20. clip — a video
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. 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