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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: drill · mate · coach · hand · root · key · perch · mug

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hand — help
  4. drill — the tool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. key — for a lock
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mate — a friend
  9. key — in music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mug — to rob
  12. perch — the fish
  13. root — of a word
  14. drill — army training
  15. mug — a cup
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mug — a face
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. drill — a practice
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — the most important part

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