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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cap — of ice
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. track — a path
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — help
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cap — a hat
  18. track — a song
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pass — a permit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — to keep track

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