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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. spell — a short time
  4. key — for a lock
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bear — the animal
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spell — letters
  13. bear — the animal
  14. root — of a plant
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ground — the earth
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. spell — magic
  20. ground — crushed
  21. key — in music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ground — a position

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