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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 124 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lean — to bend
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. lean — to rest against

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