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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 124 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lean — thin
  9. land — a country
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. land — ground
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — a series
  21. land — to come down
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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