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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pop — soda
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pop — music
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pop — to visit
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rush — hurry
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rush — to 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