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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mate — a friend
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pop — to visit
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cue — a hint
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pop — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mate — to breed
  17. root — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. root — the cause
  21. pop — soda
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — a signal
  24. dip — a sauce

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