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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bass — low music
  10. lean — to bend
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rule — a law
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rule — government
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. ground — the earth
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ground — a position
  24. lean — thin

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