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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pit — a hole
  5. track — a song
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. track — a path
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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