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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: bear · bore · leaves · firm · coach · rock · spring · straw

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rock — music
  4. firm — steady
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. spring — of water
  8. bore — to drill
  9. firm — a company
  10. bore — to tire
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. rock — a stone
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. spring — the season
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bear — the animal
  24. leaves — to go away

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