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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: coach · straw · cue · drill · mug · object · wind · bark

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. drill — army training
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. object — a thing
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — a signal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. object — to protest
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — for pool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cue — a hint
  23. object — an aim
  24. mug — to rob

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