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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fall — to drop
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rock — music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — for a computer

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