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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to click
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mug — a cup
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mug — a face
  15. game — a match
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bore — to drill
  24. game — a kind of play

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