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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: lie · rock · track · coach · net · straw · chest · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. track — to keep track
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chest — a box
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chest — of your body
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rock — music
  13. net — in sport
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. track — a path
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. track — a song
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rock — to move gently

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