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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 · straw · mark · rash · wave · chest · jam · cabinet

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chest — of your body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rash — a series
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rash — hasty
  24. chest — a box

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