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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. content — happy
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — the fish
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. content — the amount
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — a face
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rest — a break
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mug — to rob
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stand — to bear

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