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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: hand · bank · pass · rest · calf · bulb · straw · coach

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — of a river
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hand — help
  11. rest — what's left
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rest — a break
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bank — for money
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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