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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: straw · bank · clip · mug · safe · rock · kid · coach

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. clip — a video
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. kid — to tease
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rock — a stone
  11. clip — to cut
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mug — a cup
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — for money
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bank — for money

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