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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pass — a permit
  7. board — a committee
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. content — the amount
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. content — happy
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. board — to get on
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. straw — a straw man

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