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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. squash — to crush
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. squash — the sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — the time now
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. drill — army training
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. present — a gift
  19. rush — hurry
  20. present — there
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. drill — a practice
  24. coach — a trainer

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