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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: last · safe · coach · hand · march · mark · toast · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. toast — bread
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. last — to go on
  6. march — music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. last — finally
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hand — help
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. march — the month
  19. last — final
  20. hand — in cards
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. march — the month
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a grade

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