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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. face — to confront
  8. kick — in football
  9. shower — rain
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pop — to visit
  12. club — for golf
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pop — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. pop — soda
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. shower — to wash
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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