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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 116 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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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 · present · mouse · tear · straw · march · bank · bay

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. march — the month
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bank — of a river
  15. march — music
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. present — there
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. present — a gift
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. tear — from crying
  23. present — the time now
  24. march — the month

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