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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rush — hurry
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. present — there
  8. current — electric
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. current — happening now
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a hint
  14. present — a gift
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cue — for pool
  17. current — of water
  18. present — the time now
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — a signal

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