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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: clip · coach · ruler · bear · straw · bulb · mark · content

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. content — the amount
  4. mark — a grade
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. clip — to cut
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — a video
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — happy
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. clip — for paper
  23. coach — a trainer
  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