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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
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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: coach · band · mug · cold · mark · straw · fork · craft

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. band — a ring
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mug — to rob
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cold — an illness
  20. fork — in a road
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a music group
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. craft — boats

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