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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. current — electric
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. band — a music group
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. current — of water
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lie — to recline
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — happening now
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kid — to tease
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. kid — child

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