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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: bay · chest · fan · coach · temple · can · sharp · straw

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chest — of your body
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. can — a tin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. can — to be able to
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. chest — of your body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chest — a box
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fan — a supporter

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