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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. court — of a king
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mug — a face
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mug — a cup
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. tube — a container
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mug — to rob
  23. tube — the underground
  24. dip — to sink

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