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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.

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: coach · bat · bay · mouse · straw · saw · suit · game

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. saw — the tool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. suit — in cards
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. game — a match
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mouse — the animal

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