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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. season — of the year
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. march — the month
  17. row — a line
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. deal — to handle

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