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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cap — a lid
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fall — to drop
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. charge — a price
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. charge — in control
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fall — the season
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — dry grass

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