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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — for betting
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kid — to tease
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chip — to eat
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. suit — in cards
  21. kid — child
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. suit — to fit
  24. straw — dry grass

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