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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. field — farmland
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fine — all right
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. fine — high quality
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. field — for sport
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. sharp — clever
  21. field — a subject
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pass — to succeed
  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