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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — ground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. land — a country
  8. cue — for pool
  9. land — to come down
  10. cue — a hint
  11. squash — the sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. squash — to crush
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cue — a signal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pass — to spend time

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