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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bat — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — to recline
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — of water
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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