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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. scale — in music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — thin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bore — to drill

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