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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 · face · trunk · perch · stock · coach · suit · bank

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. face — to confront
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stock — shares
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. suit — in cards
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bank — for money
  21. stock — goods
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. trunk — of a tree

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