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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rule — a law
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mug — to rob
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mug — a cup
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rule — government
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fine — all right
  22. mug — a face
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. arm — a part of something

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