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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. last — to go on
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. last — final
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. band — a ring
  19. last — finally
  20. band — a music group
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — for digging

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