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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 · bulb · wave · spring · straw · swing · trunk · toast

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. swing — in golf
  9. spring — of water
  10. toast — bread
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. swing — music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. coach — a trainer

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