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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: straw · spell · drill · coach · bear · temple · foot · staff

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. drill — a practice
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bear — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. staff — a stick
  14. spell — letters
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. foot — a measure
  18. drill — the tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — a short time
  24. temple — a place of worship

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