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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rule — government
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. toast — bread
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — for light
  12. present — the time now
  13. lie — to recline
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — a gift
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. present — there
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rule — a law
  24. coach — a trainer

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