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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 120 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: straw · hide · foot · coach · stock · wake · mouse · mine

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stock — goods
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wake — a trail
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stock — shares
  24. hide — to keep secret

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