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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. present — a gift
  4. drill — army training
  5. present — there
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. sharp — clever
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. drill — the tool
  14. present — the time now
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. drill — a practice

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