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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 120 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: row · rock · coach · bowl · kid · lean · bulb · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lean — to bend
  9. row — a line
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — thin
  17. rock — music
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. kid — child
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bowl — to roll

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