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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. wound — an injury
  3. land — a country
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — to come down
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lie — to recline
  11. land — ground
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bass — low music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cue — for pool

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