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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 116 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: stick · lie · straw · perch · coach · shower · suit · row

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. perch — the fish
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — to fit
  12. shower — rain
  13. lie — to recline
  14. shower — to wash
  15. row — a line
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. row — to paddle
  24. straw — dry grass

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