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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.

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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bore — to tire
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. land — a country
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. land — ground
  13. bore — to drill
  14. land — to come down
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — gave birth

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