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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rock — music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. band — a music group
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bat — the animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. band — a ring
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bat — for baseball

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