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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — decided
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bound — tied together
  9. present — there
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — the time now
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. present — a gift
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. firm — steady
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bound — certain
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — a company

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