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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: saw · bore · spring · pitcher · chest · coach · firm · straw

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spring — a coil
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chest — a box
  9. firm — a company
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spring — the season
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. firm — steady
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spring — of water
  24. saw — the tool

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