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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rule — a law
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rule — government
  18. rush — hurry

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