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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. game — a match
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. suit — to fit
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chest — a box
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. suit — in cards
  24. coach — a trainer

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