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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. snap — to click
  5. track — a path
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cold — an illness
  9. charge — electricity
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bore — to tire
  22. track — a song
  23. cold — not warm
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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