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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: bear · nail · coach · mouse · chip · spring · straw · current

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. current — happening now
  10. spring — of water
  11. chip — to eat
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. spring — the season
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. spring — a coil

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