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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
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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: saw · coach · bay · spring · mark · dip · bore · straw

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spring — of water
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bore — to tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. spring — a coil
  22. saw — the tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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