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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
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 · row · bore · key · cold · coach · racket · can

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. row — a line
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cold — not warm
  7. can — to be able to
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bore — to tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — to drill
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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