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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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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: arm · clip · coach · toast · bear · fall · straw · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fall — to drop
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bear — the animal
  5. clip — to cut
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. toast — bread
  11. clip — a video
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fall — the season
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. clip — for paper
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bear — to put up with

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