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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bound — tied together
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mug — a face
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitch — completely
  18. land — a country
  19. bound — certain
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pitch — a sports field

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