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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. suit — in cards
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — for golf
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — a friend
  17. club — for dancing
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mate — to breed
  20. perch — the fish
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. root — of a plant
  23. club — a group
  24. mate — a partner

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