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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bound — obliged
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. present — there
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. present — the time now
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cue — a hint
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. present — a gift
  18. cue — a signal
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bound — certain

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