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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spell — magic
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. spell — a short time
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. current — of water
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kid — to tease
  14. spell — letters
  15. kid — child
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. current — happening now
  20. mate — a partner
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. current — electric

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