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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kick — in football
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitch — completely
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. craft — boats
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. leaves — lets stay

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