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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spring — of water
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spring — the season
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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