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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. drill — army training
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cell — in biology
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — soda
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. charge — in control
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pop — to visit
  14. drill — the tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. pop — music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cell — a phone
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rush — hurry

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