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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 116 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 · stand · club · rush · firm · trunk · shower · coach

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. firm — decided
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. shower — to wash
  8. firm — a company
  9. stand — to bear
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. club — for golf
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rush — hurry
  16. club — a group
  17. firm — steady
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. shower — rain
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. club — for dancing
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. trunk — of a car

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