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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: coach · dip · sharp · fine · fork · mouse · straw · chest

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fork — in a road
  18. sharp — clever
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chest — a box
  24. fine — all right

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