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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. season — in sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. row — a line
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cue — for pool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cue — a signal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. season — of the year

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