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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — steady
  7. saw — the tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. firm — decided
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. perch — the fish
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rash — hasty
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. firm — a company
  22. rash — a series
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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