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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. date — the fruit
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. straw — a straw man

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