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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bat — the animal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rush — hurry
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. track — a song
  14. craft — boats
  15. toast — bread
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. track — a path

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