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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
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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 · court · saw · rest · face · straw · coach · bulb

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — of law
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rest — what's left
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. face — to point toward
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. court — of a king
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. court — for sport

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