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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. degree — temperature
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fine — high quality
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. degree — from a university
  11. track — a path
  12. rock — a stone
  13. degree — an amount
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rock — music
  17. track — a song
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. snap — to click
  23. fine — all right
  24. trunk — of a tree

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