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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bank — for money
  5. mug — a face
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — a gift
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — there
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cue — for pool
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — the time now
  21. vault — a safe
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cue — a signal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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