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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. toast — bread
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. kick — in football
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rock — music
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kick — with a leg

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