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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · deal · coach · sharp · temple · straw · track · bat

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. track — to keep track
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. tear — to rip
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. sharp — clever
  17. tear — from crying
  18. track — a song
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. track — a path
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bat — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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