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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cap — a lid
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. object — an aim
  12. mug — a face
  13. fall — to drop
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cap — of ice
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cap — a hat
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. object — to protest
  24. date — the fruit

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