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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 · dip · foot · ruler · pitcher · saw · straw · spring

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spring — a coil
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. spring — of water
  19. dip — to sink
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. spring — the season
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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