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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · pit · straw · wake · coach · bay · rash · saw

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pop — soda
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rash — a series
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pop — music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wake — a trail
  24. straw — a straw man

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