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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 · swing · bulb · drill · coach · bear · firm · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. spell — a short time
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. spell — magic
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. swing — music
  16. firm — decided
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. firm — steady
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. firm — a company
  24. drill — the tool

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