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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: nail · straw · chair · toast · mouse · bark · coach · row

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. chair — a leader
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. row — a line

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