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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mug — a face
  5. stand — to bear
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mug — to rob
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cap — a lid
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rush — hurry

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