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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. stand — to bear
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. straw — dry grass

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