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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. season — of the year
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. chair — a leader
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wake — a trail
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — in sport

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