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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. land — ground
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. firm — steady
  5. tube — the underground
  6. firm — decided
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. bound — tied together
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. firm — a company
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — certain
  19. tube — a container
  20. present — there
  21. bound — obliged
  22. present — the time now
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. present — a gift

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