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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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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: straw · wake · spell · bay · coach · root · hide · mate

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. root — the cause
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. spell — letters
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a word
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. root — of a plant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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