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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: season · bulb · kid · fan · leaves · last · straw · coach

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — of the year
  7. last — finally
  8. bulb — for light
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. last — final
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. last — to go on
  20. season — in sport
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kid — to tease
  24. straw — a straw man

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