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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. charge — a price
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — electricity
  15. last — final
  16. rock — music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rock — a stone
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. charge — in control
  23. bore — to drill
  24. staff — employees

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