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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fine — all right
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. fine — high quality
  17. snap — to click
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mate — a partner
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mate — a friend
  24. straw — dry grass

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