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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. ground — crushed
  8. club — for golf
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. club — a group
  12. wax — to grow
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ground — a position
  15. club — for dancing
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rock — music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rock — a stone

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