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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 116 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: coach · lean · shower · straw · plane · bear · firm · hide

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. shower — rain
  4. lean — thin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — a company
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lean — to bend
  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