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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stand — to bear
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rock — a stone
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — to confront
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rock — music
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — in a road
  20. face — part of the head
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — a trainer

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