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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chest — of your body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. swing — music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pit — in a race
  15. key — the most important part
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. swing — in golf
  18. key — for a lock
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. key — in music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. swing — to play on
  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