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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.

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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: bound · jam · degree · bank · shower · coach · straw · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bank — for money
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. shower — rain
  12. degree — an amount
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. degree — from a university
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — to wash
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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